A meeting place for the family. And for friends. With places to retreat. And omnipresent communication areas. Representative and functional. In short: a house for living - and for art. Wishes, or rather multifaceted requirements for a new home, can challenge architects, even spur them on to build the ideal house with creativity. Keggenhoff und Partner had a hillside plot in a mature residential area that had been built in the 1970s. In addition to the list of the client's wishes, there were the requirements of the development plan, which stipulated a pitched roof and defined the eaves height.

Within this framework, the office developed a building that was built to absorb daylight. Vertical bands of windows divide the two-storey façade, give space to views in and out and make the building appear inviting. This impression is reinforced in the interior, whose basic structure follows the one-room concept. The rooms flow into one another, but are clearly defined in terms of their zoning and function. This creates communal areas and places of retreat, a three-dimensional alternation between communication and seclusion, even across the floors.

"The client family questioned conventional living concepts. Interior design and architecture were equally important to them," explains Sabine Keggenhoff, herself an architect and interior designer, ensuring that both disciplines were of equal value in the consistency of the design. Purpose-oriented and custom-made fixtures are an essential part of the overall concept. Oversized built-in cupboards conceal storage areas and storage space, as well as the preparation kitchen and guest area. With their homogeneous, white surfaces, they are almost invisible, while ensuring that the room is kept tidy and highly functional. The seamless flowing screed, which is combined with oak planks, is integrated into this system. High-quality, durable materials such as these floor coverings, as well as polished stainless steel, are intended to reveal their naturalness and enhance their value over the years. Everything fits together here, but everything comes from a single source. Design does not stop at the walls here, neither from the inside nor the outside. The architects and interior designers designed the garden at the same time, giving the family's life a comprehensive form. After all, a building also shows its value in what you see when you look out.

www.keggenhoff.de

Photos:

Constantin Meyer
www.constantin-meyer.de

(Published in CUBE Cologne Bonn 02|20)